Podcasts episode·Apr 1, 2025

Crypto’s Fatal Flaw: Trust, Scale, and the Economics of Blockchain

Tess Vigeland and Eric Budish
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Crypto’s most groundbreaking innovation, permissionless consensus, may also be its greatest vulnerability. In this episode, Chicago Booth economist Eric Budish breaks down the core mechanics of blockchain trust, the staggering energy costs behind mining, and why these systems are fundamentally exposed to majority attacks. Tune in for a deep dive into the economic limits of cryptocurrencies, and what they mean for the future of decentralized finance.

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